No Approval Needed

There is no way to talk about authenticity without addressing the elephant in the room: the feelings of shame and unworthiness. Shame is universal in the human experience. It is the feeling that we are “not enough.” It is a fear of being unlovable that convinces us that if we work harder, change ourselves, keep some parts hidden from others and maybe, when we finally become enough, we will then be worthy of love and connection with others.

Learning what shame is and what triggers shame for us, we will be able to recognize it and move through it with our worthiness. Shame can become a guide for us to the areas that we do not yet love and accept ourselves. It is in those areas we are seeking our worth through the approval of others.